Let's say he didn't do anything else bad after the three rapes - what's the point in imprisoning him now? It's not like rehabilitation would be required.

Well, only if you think that the "point' of laws are to punish and imprison the actual offender, and not, for instance, to assure the community at large that the rule of law is in fact enforced. It's a true and statistically and empirically proven fact, for instance, that the majority of murderers only commit one murder; if they are not caught (and punished) they're not going to commit another murder ever again. John List is an obvious example: He murdered his entire family one day, and was found something like 35 years later (with another whole family) having never acquired so much as a parking ticket in the meantime. Another guy in Southern California killed two cops after kidnapping four teenagers and raping one of them; he was found so many years later that he was a great-grandfather and the rape victim was in her 80's. He also had not reoffended in all that time.

Shall we say, Oh, well, then, no harm no foul? These guys are clearly no threat to society so let's just overlook the fact that they killed people a long time ago? I guess we could--if the only purpose of laws is to punish the offender. However, laws are also meant to stabilize society and assure the community that justice is a concrete thing and not merely an abstract concept. Laws and the guarantee of their execution--even after many years and no further offense--is what keeps people from taking justice into their own hands; the assurance that the authorities have things under control.

Killer Cars:So a Boston-area fugitive "flees" to Portland-area Maine, all the while changing only his first name. At least put a few countries of distance between yourself and undergo a sex change or something. Make it interesting, you dull, boring, rapey f*ck.

And he was still able to dodge the law for 35 years... will be interesting to find out what finally gave him away.

Benjamin Orr:Squeebee: Benjamin Orr: Squeebee: He's 52, been on the run for 34 years, so he was 18 years old when he allegedly raped three women in his own home? Was it statutory rape from before the Romeo & Juliet laws?

You should probably read the article again. Maybe parse a few commas or something.

"A convicted rapist from Rockland who fled Massachusetts in 1979 and has spent the last 34 years on the Massachusetts State Police Most Wanted list was captured last night in Gorham, Maine, where he had started a new life under a fake name with a wife, two children, and a granddaughter."

"Massachusetts State Police arrested Gary Alan Irving, 52, "

52 - 34 = 18 last I checked.

Yes you can do math. Now find the part that said he raped 3 girls in his own home.

You're being a pain in the donkey about something that was not clear in the article - which is why I went and found the other one.

GORDON:The police in TFA seem awfully cocky about taking 30 years to catch the guy.

It's like, wow, the police really pwned that convicted criminal by letting him live free for half a lifetime.

I have $20 that says they only caught him because he confessed to the wrong person or else the police pulled him over for speeding and couldn't verify his ID. They probably just got lucky and are now calling that "tenacity."

ACunningPlan:Out of curiosity - IANAL - aside from the duties of the legal system, will his victims have any say over the matter? If he hasn't committed any other crimes - leaving that likelihood out for a moment - do their views count? There are no hard and fast rules for how one deals with these things; they mightn't want it all dredged up again.

He's already convicted. He just needs to be sentenced and incarcerated. The victims can voice opinions on the sentence, but the judge(or sentencing laws) make the decision. This is the same situation as Roman Polanski.

ongbok:On another note, what kind of judge lets a person who is facing decades in prison out before sentencing to get his affairs in order? It wasn't like he was facing a few months or years. What did he think would happen? I wonder if the judge was related to him in some way, a friend of a family member or if this guy's family wasn't well connected.

Benjamin Orr:Squeebee: He's 52, been on the run for 34 years, so he was 18 years old when he allegedly raped three women in his own home? Was it statutory rape from before the Romeo & Juliet laws?

You should probably read the article again. Maybe parse a few commas or something.

"A convicted rapist from Rockland who fled Massachusetts in 1979 and has spent the last 34 years on the Massachusetts State Police Most Wanted list was captured last night in Gorham, Maine, where he had started a new life under a fake name with a wife, two children, and a granddaughter."

Cheron:Benjamin Orr:In the olden days it was much easier to change your identity.

Don't ask me how I know this.

When I turned 16 I need an SS card to work - you didn't get one a birth in those days - so I went to town hall with my school ID and got my birth certificate. I only need my birth certificate to get the SS card and I only need the SS card to get my drivers license. With my drivers license I got credit cards and a passport. Every bit of ID I have started as a laminated picture with my school name an logo on a card. If I had been thinking I would have done it twenty times more.

You needed to do a little research and find birth certificates for kids that died very young. That's how the scam worked. You get legit ID's for dead people your age, or a little older so you can buy booze.

Killer Cars:So a Boston-area fugitive "flees" to Portland-area Maine, all the while changing only his first name. At least put a few countries of distance between yourself and undergo a sex change or something. Make it interesting, you dull, boring, rapey f*ck.

Had he moved further inland in Maine they never would have found him. That's better than leaving the country, it's like getting in a time machine back to before the crime was even committed.

dletter:Benjamin Orr: Killer Cars: So a Boston-area fugitive "flees" to Portland-area Maine, all the while changing only his first name. At least put a few countries of distance between yourself and undergo a sex change or something. Make it interesting, you dull, boring, rapey f*ck.

In the olden days it was much easier to change your identity.

Don't ask me how I know this.

No problem Don Draper..... I assume you mean even late 70s when this guy did it being "olden", since he was successful for 35 years.

Benjamin Orr:Killer Cars: So a Boston-area fugitive "flees" to Portland-area Maine, all the while changing only his first name. At least put a few countries of distance between yourself and undergo a sex change or something. Make it interesting, you dull, boring, rapey f*ck.

In the olden days it was much easier to change your identity.

Don't ask me how I know this.

No problem Don Draper..... I assume you mean even late 70s when this guy did it being "olden", since he was successful for 35 years.

Killer Cars:So a Boston-area fugitive "flees" to Portland-area Maine, all the while changing only his first name. At least put a few countries of distance between yourself and undergo a sex change or something. Make it interesting, you dull, boring, rapey f*ck.

So a Boston-area fugitive "flees" to Portland-area Maine, all the while changing only his first name. At least put a few countries of distance between yourself and undergo a sex change or something. Make it interesting, you dull, boring, rapey f*ck.